Rates, Fees, and Charges

The Macon Water Authority (MWA) strives to provide the cleanest, safest, best tasting drinking water possible, which is fairly and reasonably priced for all utility customers. The Authority has some of the most competitive water and sewer rates in the industry.

The rates, fees, and charges of the MWA are structured to include a base fee, calculated according to the size of a customer’s meter, as well as a variable or volumetric charge, based on consumption. Rates also vary according to residential (typically smaller meters and lower base fees) and non-residential (larger meters for commercial and industrial) customers in Macon/Bibb County. In addition, the wholesale rates for customers in Monroe County, Jones County, and the City of Byron, are established off of the retail rates for Macon/Bibb County customers.

In October of 2019, the MWA Board of Directors approved its most recent five-year rate plan, which included the adoption of rates for 2020, as well as for 2021-2022. The rate plan, with three years of rate adoption, was completed through oversight of the MWA Finance Committee, following the MWA staff's in-depth analyses of customer demand trends, operational requirements of the utility, capital project needs, and debt-coverage targets.

Additionally, the Board approved moving to a single tier structure that includes an increase of 18 cents to customer water consumption charges (volumetric rates) that utilize 3 units or less. Usage that is greater than 3 units will encounter an increase of 8 cents. MWA Residential and Non-Residential Customers will now pay a single tiered Water Consumption (Variable) Rate of $2.58 per CCF.

The Authority implements rates according to a fiscally responsible and conservative approach. As a result, the MWA maintains some of the most competitive water and sewer rates in the state of Georgia and in the nation. As evidence, metrics used in a rate study conducted by the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina conclude that the MWA has water/sewer rates that are significantly lower than similar utilities in Georgia. In addition, MWA rates are deemed affordable when calculating them as a percentage of median household income in Macon-Bibb County.

The following is an overview of ALL rates, fees, and charges, for MWA residential and non-residential customers in Macon/Bibb County: